WASHINGTON – America’s leading beverage companies today introduced a new look for their industry association that speaks to who we are – a strong, united, forward-thinking industry driving solutions together on issues of importance to the communities, families and customers we serve.

The core strength of the beverage industry is our spirit of innovation. America’s leading beverage companies look for ways to work with community partners, government and advocacy groups on meaningful solutions that make a difference. Our industry has a long history of contributing to the cities and towns we have worked and lived in for generations, driving ideas and advancing changes that support our customers, consumers and communities. A hallmark of the beverage industry is its members’ willingness to put competition aside and work together on issues of importance.

The American Beverage Association recently celebrated its 100-year anniversary by paying tribute to the industry’s legacy of leadership and innovation. The new brand we introduce today builds on past success and reflects the strength and unity we carry into the future, a future in which the beverage industry will continue its leadership role in helping people make informed decisions. 

As we move into our next 100 years as an organization, we will be “American Beverage,” because at our core that is who we are. The innovative, forward-thinking, solutions-oriented approach we bring to our efforts sets us apart, and “American Beverage” captures the strength and unity of our industry as it moves ahead together. Our new tagline, “Driving Solutions Together,” speaks to the collaborative nature of our membership and the organizations the industry works with to achieve positive results.

“This is an exciting moment for our industry,” said Katherine Lugar, president and chief executive officer of the American Beverage Association. “We have a lot to be proud of due to the leadership our members have shown in reducing our plastic footprint, lessening our impact on the environment and innovating with beverage choices to support families’ efforts to reduce sugar in their diet. Our new look reflects our inherent drive toward innovative solutions.”

"For over a hundred years, our iconic industry comprised of local businesses has continuously demonstrated strong commitment to their customers, consumers and communities,” said Matthew Dent, chairman of the American Beverage Board of Directors and president and chief operating officer of Buffalo Rock Company in Birmingham, Ala. “Our willingness to lead on tough issues is in our nature, has been so for decades, and we are prepared to engage the challenges and opportunities that are in our future." 

The roots of the American beverage industry go back to the 1880s when soft drinks created by pharmacists and small entrepreneurs were delivered by horse and cart. Many of the brands created then are still sold today, and American-made beverages have become a global product known to consumers worldwide. 

Beverage companies first came together under a trade association more than a century ago in 1919 as the American Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages. During its history, the association has rebranded to better reflect the ever-evolving industry, first to the National Soft Drink Association in 1966 and then to the American Beverage Association in 2004. Our membership is made up of beverage companies, bottlers and suppliers whose 227,000 employees are the backbone of a thriving U.S. industry made up of American companies making American products by American workers in America's hometowns. 

The businesses and people who make up the association membership are solutions oriented. That is why – on issues like the environment, health and wellness, plastic – American Beverage’s membership has joined with government and non-governmental organizations alike on solutions that have a real impact:

• The Every Bottle Back initiative launched last year with prominent environmental groups is a groundbreaking effort to reduce the industry’s use of new plastic by increasing the amount of plastic bottles that are collected and remade. In its first full year, the beverage industry funded 11 community recycling projects estimated to collect 644 million more pounds of recycled PET.
• The Balance Calories Initiative is a joint effort with the non-profit Alliance for a Healthier Generation to reduce sugar nationally per person by 20%. Beverage companies are using their strengths in product innovation and marketing to increase consumer interest in beverage options that have less sugar or zero sugar, and smaller package sizes. Today, more than 54% of all beverages sold are zero sugar.
• The beverage industry is working with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to measure the reduction in its plastic footprint over time in a transparent manner, and the American Beverage Association has joined the U.S. Plastics Pact to work toward a circular economy for plastics. 

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About American Beverage

American Beverage is the national trade organization representing the broad spectrum of companies that manufacture and distribute non-alcoholic beverages in the United States. For more information, please visit www.americanbeverage.org. For more information on our leadership initiatives, please visit www.balanceus.org and www.innovationnaturally.org.